The present invention relates generally to computer memory, and more specifically, to policy-based, multi-scheme data reduction for a computer memory.
In order to store data efficiently in computer memory, data reduction techniques, such as compression and deduplication, are implemented in computer storage systems. Many different compression schemes and deduplication techniques are available. Data reduction may be applied within a storage device such that all data that is stored in the storage device is reduced using the same data reduction technique. However, it may be difficult to determine a particular data reduction technique to apply in a large file system or database that stores many different kinds of data, on different storage media or devices, for different purposes, applications, and users. Further, as data ages, its access pattern may change; thus the preferred data reduction technique for data may also change over time.